Africa Media Review for September 17, 2024

Sudan’s Cholera Outbreak Surpasses 9,000 Cases
Sudan’s cholera cases have exceeded 9,000 with 315 deaths across eight states, the health ministry said on Monday, as it launched a vaccination campaign in the eastern localities of Wad El Hilu and Kassala. The outbreak began on August 12 amidst heavy rains and floods, raising concerns that stagnant water could become a breeding ground for the disease. The ministry’s emergency operations centre reported 266 new cases, including six deaths, bringing the cumulative number of infections to 9,533. The rains and floods have also caused 225 deaths and injured 889 people, the ministry said. Over 73,000 families have been affected, with thousands of homes destroyed or damaged. … Sudan’s health system is facing a severe crisis, particularly in conflict zones where 80% of facilities have shut down amid shortages of medicines and supplies. Sudan Tribune

Starvation in War-hit Sudan ‘Almost Everywhere’ – WHO
Starvation in war-stricken Sudan “is almost everywhere”, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has told the BBC’s Today programme after visiting the country. “The situation in Sudan is very alarming… the massive displacement – it’s now the largest in the world, and, of course, famine,” director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. He said 12 million people were already displaced, adding that attention in the global community to Sudan was “really low” and race was a factor. Thousands of people have been killed since a civil war broke out in April 2023 between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). … Dr Tedros urged mainstream media to give more attention to Sudan, describing the situation there as a “tragedy”. In August, a UN-backed committee of experts declared a famine at a camp housing about 500,000 displaced people near the besieged city of el-Fasher in Darfur, one of the regions worst affected by the conflict. BBC

Malian Army Says Capital Bamako ‘Under Control’ Following Gun Attack
The Malian military government has reported that it thwarted a “terrorist” attack in the capital, adding the situation is “under control”. The army said on Tuesday that it was conducting a security sweep after fighting off gunmen who attacked a military police centre in Bamako. Mali’s military government has been fighting rebel groups since overseeing a coup in 2021. The military facility, located in the Feladie district on the southeastern outskirts of the capital near the main airport, came under attack early on Tuesday morning. Witnesses reported gunshots and explosions. … The military called on residents to avoid the area and await further official reports. Bamako’s Modibo Keita international airport was temporarily shut down due to the unrest, an airport official told the AFP news agency. A nearby high school announced it would remain closed “due to external events”. Staff at the United Nations mission in Mali received a message urging them to “limit [their] movements until further notice”. … Mali, which has been ruled by a military government since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, is plagued by numerous armed rebel groups, including separatists and fighters linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS). However, these groups have, so far, remained outside of the capital. Al Jazeera

US Military Completes Withdrawal from Junta-ruled Niger
The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Niger is complete, an American official said Monday. A small number of military personnel assigned to guard the U.S. Embassy remain, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters. Earlier this year, Niger’s ruling junta ended an agreement that allowed U.S. troops to operate in the West African country. A few months later, officials from both countries said in a joint statement that U.S. troops would complete their withdrawal by the middle of September. The U.S. handed over its last military bases in Niger to local authorities last month, but about two dozen American soldiers had remained in Niger, largely for administrative duties related to the withdrawal, Singh said. Niger’s ouster of American troops following a coup last year has broad ramifications for Washington because it’s forcing troops to abandon critical bases that were used for counterterrorism missions in the Sahel. Groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group operate in the vast region south of the Sahara desert. One of those groups, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, known as JNIM, is active in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and is looking to expand into Benin and Togo.

Algeria’s Tebboune Re-elected with 84% of Vote, According to Official Results
A week after Algeria went to the polls in presidential elections marked by allegations of fraud and irregularities by opposition politicians, the country’s election authority on Saturday said final results showed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had won a second term with 84.3 percent of the vote. … The preliminary results issued by the North African country’s electoral authority ANIE on Sunday gave Tebboune nearly 95 percent support, prompting other candidates to challenge the results in appeals to the Constitutional Court. … Tebboune was elected in December 2019 with 58 percent of the vote, despite a record abstention rate above 60 percent, amid the mass Hirak pro-democracy protests. He has since drawn criticism over his human rights record. France24

Sierra Leone Building Collapse Kills Eight
Rescuers in Sierra Leone are continuing to search for more survivors after a seven-storey building collapsed in the capital Freetown, killing at least eight people. The West African country’s National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) said six people had been rescued from the rubble on Shell New Road so far, but “more people remain trapped”. It added that some of those in the rubble had been “able to communicate their locations” to the rescuers. The building in eastern Freetown collapsed between 11:00 and 12:00 local time (12:00 and 13:00 BST) on Monday, the NDMA said. Two girls and a boy—all aged under five—are among the victims. … Sierra Leone is one of the world’s poorest countries, and buildings are often built with substandard materials. BBC

Eswatini Activists Say Park Rangers Shoot Suspected Poachers with Impunity
Some Eswatini legislators, backed by human rights activists, are calling for an urgent review of the Game Act of 1991, a law they say allows wildlife park rangers to shoot and kill suspected poachers with little or no accountability. Game park owners have defended these shootings for years as necessary to protect animals. But critics contend that the Game Act instead jeopardizes human life. Human rights lawyer Thabiso Mavuso of the Law Society of Swaziland, who has represented the families of shooting victims, says the law not only allows game rangers to use lethal force with impunity but also shields them from legal accountability. “We have seen here in Eswatini the killing, injury and torture of people, some as young as 13 years and some in their 60s, but nothing has been done against the perpetrators … ,” Mavuso said. “This law needs reform. It must be aligned with human rights and general principles of constitutionalism such as accountability and responsibility.” No one has exact numbers for how many suspected poachers have been killed in Eswatini’s game parks, but the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs estimates dozens are slain each year. VOA

Two Police Operatives Killed as Gunmen Attack Another Police Facility in South-east
Gunmen have killed two police operatives in Anambra State, Nigeria’s South-east. The officers were killed when the attackers invaded Umunze Divisional Police Headquarters in the state. … This latest attack occurred hours after gunmen attacked Njaba Divisional Police Headquarters in Imo, another state in the South-east. Three gunmen were killed in the attack. … The police in Anambra State said the hoodlums who carried out the latest attack in the state were suspected members of an unnamed secessionist group. “The suspected armed proscribed group invaded the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically and fire caught part of the station. … Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed persons. The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities. … The Nigerian government has accused Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks. Premium Times

Ethiopia-Somalia Talks Delayed Over Scheduling Conflicts With UN General Assembly, Say Diplomatic Sources
The third round of talks between Ethiopia and Somalia, initially scheduled for Tuesday, 17 September, 2024, in Ankara, Turkey, has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts with the United Nations General Assembly, according to diplomatic sources. This development comes amid rising tensions between the two nations, which were initially sparked by Ethiopia’s memorandum of understanding with Somaliland in January. Two senior Somali officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to a lack of authorization, confirmed the postponement to Voice of America (VOA). One official told VOA that “the talks were postponed because of preparations for and travel related to the UN General Assembly.” The second official stated that the time available to prepare for the talks was “too short.” While a new date for the talks has not been set, it is expected that they will resume after the conclusion of the UN General Assembly, according to VOA. Türkiye has been facilitating dialogue between the two countries, with two previous rounds of talks held in Ankara in July and August under Turkish mediation. However, these discussions failed to produce any significant breakthrough in the ongoing dispute. The postponement comes amid heightened regional tensions, following reports of Egypt sending military officers and heavy equipment to Somalia. Media reports have suggested this could involve up to 10,000 Egyptian soldiers. Addis Standard

Electricity in Short Supply as Zambia Deals with Drought-driven Energy Crisis
As Zambia deals with its worst drought in 20 years, businesses and households are going for days without electricity. Experts say the severe energy crisis could worsen Zambia ‘s already fragile economy and lead to massive job losses. On an average day, millions of people across the country are enduring up to 21 hours of power cuts, locally known as load shedding. Taonga Zulu, a Lusaka resident who runs a family farm business, told VOA that her livelihood has been hurt by the power cuts. “It has been nearly impossible to manage the chicken run properly as we rely on electricity for various aspects of their care,” she said. “The lack of power has also prevented us from pumping water, which means our farm is slowly turning into a desert.” … Worsened by climate change and the El Nino weather pattern, the energy crisis threatens national food security, water and energy supply, Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema said earlier this year. VOA

Zimbabwe to Cull 200 Elephants to Feed People Left Hungry by Drought
Zimbabwe plans to cull 200 elephants to feed communities facing acute hunger after the worst drought in four decades, wildlife authorities said on Tuesday. The El Nino-induced drought wiped out crops in southern Africa, impacting 68 million people and causing food shortages across the region. “We can confirm that we are planning to cull about 200 elephants across the country. We are working on modalities on how we are going to do it,” Tinashe Farawo, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson, told Reuters. He said the elephant meat would be distributed to communities in Zimbabwe affected by the drought. The cull, the first in the country since 1988, will take place in Hwange, Mbire, Tsholotsho and Chiredzi districts. It follows neighbouring Namibia’s decision last month to cull 83 elephants and distribute meat to people impacted by the drought. … Farawo said the culling is also part of the country’s efforts to decongest its parks, which can only sustain 55,000 elephants. Zimbabwe is home to over 84,000 elephants. Reuters

‘This is a Big Chance for All of Us’: Germany’s Freedom Hotel Where Exiled Journalists Take Refuge
[…] Political repression and a rising number of attacks on global press freedom have forced thousands of journalists to leave their countries in recent years. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, there were 99 reporters killed last year, up 44% on 2022 and the highest toll since 2015. The detention of journalists, suppression of independent media and dissemination of misinformation have significantly intensified in the past year, according to the annual World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In the small Brandenburg village of Schmerwitz, an hour by train from Berlin, the German non-profit organisation Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) is providing a place of safety for exiled or refugee journalists who have made it to Germany in its House of Critical Voices, allowing them to continue to report on human rights abuses in their own countries. Guardian

More Africans Prefer Democracy in the Face of Threats
[Video] More countries in Africa are under democratic rule than two decades ago. However, there are clear threats to representative government on the continent. DW

Hustle Academies: The Online Scammers of West Africa Now Training Others
As the world becomes increasingly connected, digital fraud has evolved from a local problem into a global one. West Africa, particularly Ghana and Nigeria, is witnessing the rise of “hustle kingdoms” – informal academies that train individuals to carry out digital scams. … These academies, once local training hubs, have evolved into global threats. They now export their skills worldwide, fuelling more persistent and widespread fraud. … Similar to the “Sakawa Boys” (Ghanaian online scammers) and the “Yahoo Boys” (Nigerian online scammers), “hustle kingdom” fraudsters sometimes justify their actions as seeking restitution for past injustices, viewing themselves as descendants of victims of the slave trade, economic exploitation and colonialism, while westerners are seen as descendants of colonialists. This framing suggests that their online scams are, in part, a response to historical wrongs. … Tackling this issue requires urgent attention at both local and global levels. There are no quick and simple solutions, but broadly, there are three main areas of action required. First, there needs to be much more cooperation between law enforcement from countries that are the main targets of these scammers and west African law enforcement agencies. The aim should be not just to apprehend the main criminal actors, but to disrupt the activity. Second, the social and economic factors driving young people into this “industry” need to be addressed. Finally, much more needs to be done to protect potential victims from these online scams through more effective and targeted fraud prevention measures. The East African